My selfish heart. I don't know anyone who doesn't struggle with selfishness. Aren't many parents fighting the word "mine" from the early age of two. In fact we start our lives unaware that there is anything but us and on our worst days we go back to that state of unawareness. This challenge has been big in my life recently. Moving to Sydney has been tough. Sending Mat to Bible college also tough. Parenting Elizabeth though, has taken the cake in the realm of toughness. I never knew I was still so self-centered. I mean after all I'm married and I certainly got less selfish after that, right? And I'm not a little kid any more either, I am almost 30 years old I should be over the selfishness of youth. And yet, at 6:30am when I hear that familiar little voice in the other room, telling me that night is over and the sun is up and shouldn't I be…I feel a bit selfish. And when Mat is in the bathroom getting ready to head off to school when I feel like I haven't even seen the bathroom this morning and may not get to see it for quite a while…I feel a bit more selfish.

And when it's 2 in the afternoon and I still haven't managed to get anything nutritious into my mouth for lunch and somebody is tugging on every part of me in sequence and demanding that she be held constantly… I feel selfish. And when other things come up that interrupt my daily plan (which generally involves doing as little as possible) I feel like no one cares about me. I wonder why others don't put me first; forgetting of course that I'm not putting them first either. So what am I to do? Well writing it all down helps. Getting my selfish feelings out on the screen helps me see them from a different angle and realize that they really are insignificant in a lot of ways. I am not the centre of the universe or even of my house. I have sacrificed to make my family's life easier and smoother, and that is right and good. I have lost sleep (and lots of it) to comfort my baby and help her to get more sleep, also right and good. I don't know what Saturday is really and I tend to find trips away harder than life at home and I miss making up my mind about simple life tasks and then just doing them, showering for example or brushing my teeth. But at this stage in my life I am laying it down to serve my family and hopefully make life work more smoothly for all of us. But the big deal of this whole thing is that it's not about me. At All. I find that really easy to type. But my heart mounts a serious rebellion when God reminds me of this. It's not about Beth either, or Mat or even our "calling". It's about God and His relentless pursuit of the ones He loves, in heart mind soul and body. It is about living for Him and showing the world what it means to be His. Hebrews talks about the journey through God's discipline and how it shows us His love for us that we are disciplined and then it goes on to say, "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;" (Hebrews 12:12-17 ESV) These are some serious words. I want to do that though, to lift up my drooping hands and to get on with it. To show holiness in my way of living which will hopefully point others towards Christ. So here I go diligently seeking to rid myself of the selfish skin I wear and to strive towards servant-hearted blessing. Easy to write now during nap time when all is quite and I can think straight, harder to live when the nap is over and the busyness starts but, none the less I need to live this way. Trusting God to rid me of myself.

Holiday Bible Program

Wow! What an amazing few weeks have just flown by me here! We have been deep in the throes of VBS or, as it is better known here, Holiday Bible Program. It's awesome to see a lot of planning and hard work come together to turn into a truly exciting program. The kids have been treated to quite an exciting week in the "rainforest". Not an easy task, we have had a team of people working on transforming the central desert into a tropical rainforest. It has been amazing to watch really committed and creative people take our building and transform it. There is the paper mache tree in the corner (and whatever you're picturing in your head, it's bigger!) A waterfall, a ranger station complete with corregated tin roof. And of course, a rickety bridge over a croc infested river! Hopefully I'll be able to get pictures up in the next week or so that will give you a bit of insight into our little jungle.
The program itself has been great too. The teen team has rehearsed some great dramas and pulled them off in a way that is funny and yet meaningful. The story tellers have managed to capture the attentions of all of the kids and convey the wonder of Biblical messages that will last them a lifetime. From the moment the kids step through the door until the moment they leave, there has been an energy, spirit of fun and a thrill which only come with the wonder of being a child, and of seeing things through a child's eyes.
One thing that I really wanted for this program was to help give the kids a foundation upon which the roots of faith in Christ could grow. What I didn't expect was to have my own roots tugged a little. Some of the verses we've been memorizing this week are verses I've known since I was a child. And yet, as I look at some of them, I wonder if I've really got as good a grasp on them as I think. The challenge of God's word, is always a bit confronting. But, realizing that someone else put in the effort years and years ago, so that I could have the same foundation we're trying to give these kids, reminds me of just how important it is.
Thanks so much for all your prayers and all the encouragements I've recieved through the week. It's been a blessing to feel your love and support through a very busy week! The whole program has grown and stretched all of us and I hope that somewhere in the town of Alice there is a kid who is a little bit closer to Christ, and living His way than there was last week.
Thanks for reading,
Shannon

Bush Tucker

 

 

Well, I know it's been quite some time since I posted a blog update, and the last one covered some of the hard work the Outback team put in out at Willowra. One of the things that we did on that trip (and sometimes not on that trip)is go bush tucker hunting. Tucker is a word for food, and bush tucker is food you find in the wild. It used to be the only source of food for the indigenous tribes that lived in remote areas, and today it still makes up a large part of the diet of many yappa folk.
But, in order to eat, you first must hunt and collect the food you want to eat. The first set of pictures is about hunting for witchety grubs. These large grubs live in the branches and roots of certain species of trees and bushes. In order to find them, you either chop open the branch, at the appropriate spot or you dig at the roots of the bush. Then you use a flexible twig with a little hook and pull the grub out of its dark little home. It's quite an interesting process, and it requires some major knowledge so we were glad to have help!
After the grubs have been found you can eat them raw, or throw them in the fire for a bit. Once they've cooked you just pop them in your mouth for a yummy treat. That is what I'm doing in that collection. I'm enjoying my very first (but not last) witchety grub. Everyone wants to know what they taste like, and I'm not really sure how to describe it. A lot of people say it's like egg. I guess that's true. It's also kind of vegetable like. Anyhow, you'll just have to try one yourself!
The second grouping of photos is from a different hunt, we were hunting bush potatoes. Which are like white sweet potatoes. There was a lot of digging and work involved in getting those potatoes but, we had watermelon and the kids entertained everyone with their antics, so that was a good time for all of us. The bush potatoes cook in the fire and are really quite delicious.
So, what's the great deep lesson, you may be wondering. I think it's just this: that God's provision is all around us. In nature, in the grocery store, in the bank, or in your neighbors hand. All these good things come from God. Sometimes, they may not look like the provision we were expecting (witchety grubs) but, they still reflect His love for us and his perfect plans of provision for us all. So many of you have given to me financially to make this time in Australia possible and I'm so grateful, beyond grateful for your obedience to God. He provides for each of us in such wonderful and unique ways. And so it's with a grateful heart that we return praise to the Giver of every good gift!
Thanks for reading,
Shannon

Pictures from the Outback

 
Prepping the ground for the posts.
 
Post hole digger! One of our best friends!

 
Getting those posts in the ground.

 

Got to make sure they are straight or it throws the whole project off.


At the beginning of this month I joined a great team from the church and headed out bush to the town of Willowra. Our primary purpose in Willowra was to build a fence around the church yard to keep out the wild donkeys and other critters. I learned so many things about fencing during the trip but I also learned about ministry. Actually, noticed a few similarities in them. Particularly in the beginning stages. When you are building a fence one of the most important steps is making sure all the lines are straight on the ground from corner to corner. Then you dig post holes that are measured equal distances from each other. Then you put in concrete and then the posts.
Now obviously this is a pretty simple description but, it got me thinking about how important it is in life to get the foundations of something right. Especially in ministry and relationships. The preparation of the ground, the measuring and remeasuring can seem like a pain, or a waste of time but, if you want a fence that will stand up to the test, you have to get it in the ground correctly right away. Same with ministry, if you want a ministry to last through the stresses and trials you have to put in the prep time and do the measuring. I think scripture talks about counting the cost. There are a lot of great ministry projects out there that have failed simply because there was too much rushing into it. I know that as I'm working in ministry here at the church that it has been the foundations of new ministry which seem to take time, but, once they are established it can really come out with some great results.
More pictures to come and hopefully more observations.
Thanks for reading!
Shannon

Four More Sleeps!

"We only have four more sleeps!" The leader of my upcoming mission trip within a mission trip wrote this in a recent email she sent to the team. I am truly amazed to think that the trip I heard about almost three months ago is finally here! For those of you who haven't heard, I will be participating in a ten-day bush exposure trip with a group from my church. There are six team members participating and we will be joining two of the missionaries Alice Baptist supports, Norm and Karen Roberts. The Roberts have been serving in the bush communities northwest of Alice Springs for over five years now. They are great people and I cannot wait to get to know them better and hear more about their journey into missionary life.
So a little about the why of the trip. We are going because we want to support the work that is being done in these three communities to spread the gospel of Christ to the Warlpiri people. We will be starting our journey in Willowra.

This small town with an estimated population of 350 people has a small community of believers and a church building. The building is in need of a fence to keep out wandering critters. We will be working on this as a team with the assistance of a builder and his father from our church. We are really excited to be able to help in such a practical way!

After that we will be moving to Ali Curung, another small town North of Alice. I think we'll be helping to clear the area in and around the mission house due to the rainfall the grass has been growing like crazy and so we will be mowing and cleaning up the yard area. We will also be spending time in the community building relationships and spending some time with the locals.

After a couple days there we will be headed to our third community, Yuendemu! This is one of the larger towns in the area and we will be spending time out in the community there too. Who knows what we'll wind up doing while we're there but, I think it's going to be a really great time.

When we've finished our time in Yuendemu we will be headed back to Alice! There are going to be some challenges ahead and some great experiences too. I know that God has been working in the hearts of me and my teammates as we've been preparing for this.

We would really appreciate your prayers as we head out for the next ten-days. Special prayer requests would be:
-Safety in travels
-Speed and efficiency on the fence building as we only have to professionals there for a few days.
-That each of us would have a heart that is open to learn and a spirit that is sensitive to the words of God.

Thanks for reading and for praying!
Shannon

Here's a map of our Journey!
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=115871408322241677933.000485496906df8b42d7a&ll=-21.983801,132.879639&spn=4.043883,7.064209&t=h&z=7

Busier than the Easter Bunny!

There has been a bit of a lag in my blog postings lately. I realize that and I hope that it hasn't left you with nothing of interest to read! But, the lag corresponds directly with an upswing in the activities of other things in my life. The Easter holiday is a very different thing here in Alice than in Baltimore. Here it corresponds with a school break of 1-2 weeks. So it's a vacation weekend for a lot of kids and families. The youth group uses that weekend together with that break to go on a retreat. They call it "Easter Camp".
I was recruited to help out with this weekend by my friends and co-workers from church who were planning the event. I went along willingly but I wasn't really sure what it was going to be like. I don't help with youth group on a regular basis so I didn't really know any of the teens. I hadn't slept in a swag before but I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be as comfortable as my bed. I had been on youth retreats before and I remembered the haggard looks on the faces of some of the leaders whenever they were over. But, I also remembered the changes that had happened in my life and my faith whenever I went on those trips.
It was definitely a weekend to remember! We had an awesome time as a group, playing games, eating meals, listening to the challenge of God's Word, spending time in small groups. But there were also lots of times for a more personal one on one time with some of the students. It was challenging for me to be in such a direct leadership position and yet, I really liked it. The girls in my group were really fun and great to work with. Each one was different and yet we all had a lot in common.
Overall, the weekend was a totally great way to spend Easter, changing lives with Jesus!
Coming back was not easy. Of course, we were all pretty tired. I got home and decided to throw in a load of laundry before I crashed on the couch. This was a great idea and I even applauded my own self-motivation (I think I actually thought, this is what mom would recommend I do before I relax. But, there was one minor oversight in my plan.
The next day I was expecting to receive a text message. By the afternoon when I realized I had received no such message I decided I wasn't even really sure where my phone was (insert music indicating impending doom). I looked around my room for it and then a terrible realization sprung into my mind! I had it in the pocket of my shorts yesterday...
I'm sure the rest you can fill in for yourselves. I washed it and then dried it in the tumble dryer, twice. So that phone is long gone but, a solution presented itself so that is all good.

Anyhow, the whole weekend was a great reminder of why I do ministry, because Jesus is alive and people need to know it. It was also a reminder of the fact that this world and the things in it die, whether by natural causes or washing machine, and that the only answer to death is Jesus' victorious resurrection!

Thanks for reading,
Shannon

Bush Dancing

It's hard to believe it was almost a month ago that we here in Alice Springs got a little bit country and had ourselves a bush dance. I've posted pictures, and I'm sorry they are in three separate posts I couldn't figure a different way to do it. So I'm going to go through them now and tell you what the pictures are of.
1. Three wonderful ladies from my home group and Sunday school ministry. Tanya, Sarah and Hannah.
2. This one is my dear friend Rael. She is a wonderful lady and she was having a good time dancing her heart out.
3. Mystery woman...
4.Tianni and Sammy two little girls from church.
5.The next one is in the next post window. It's Elise Maloney on the keyboard!
6.And Matt Maloney, youth pastor, husband of Elise and Caller for the bush dance.
7.Ben Hall fantastic drummer.
8.Rohan Barwick who played a fantastic variety of instruments that night.
The rest of the photos are of the dancers dancing! It was a great night and a fun fundraiser for the youth Easter camp which is happening this weekend. Easter Camp is a retreat a lot like our Fall Retreat. It gives the youth group a chance to get away for some serious time with God and each other. Please be praying for us this weekend.
There are quite a few youth coming who are not regulars at youth group so that's exciting and a challenge. I will be helping lead a small group of 12th grade girls. It's going to be a ton of fun and a great opportunity for the gospel to go forth. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for praying and reading,
Shannon